Archive for June, 2009

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Women’s Grooming in the Fifties

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009
Common Hair Dryer of the 50's

Common Hair Dryer of the 50's

Women’s grooming during the 50’s and 60’s were not much different from what we do know-a-days. You can still find some slight differences from their make-up to nail and hair care.

50’s fashion was the more subtle and natural the better. Women were less worried about having a tan and dark eyes and more worried about having flawless skin. They would cover their flaws with light powder or liquid foundations.

The blushes and eye shadows of the day were very creamy light colors although women would put on a little darker eye shadow when going out at night. Flashy lipstick colors were very much in style. Bold colors such as scarlet red were worn by many women of the time.

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Women’s Underwear and Girdles of the 50’s and 60’s

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009
Common bra of the 50's

Common bra of the 50's

Underwear and even girdles have come a long way since the 50’s and 60’s. During the early 50’s Bras, underwear, girdles, corsets, and hose were changing for the better to help make women feel more comfortable in them.

The bullet bra first made its appearance during the 40’s and continued till the late 60’s. These bras were immortalized by movie starts such as Marilyn Monroe and Lana Turner. Because of the way a sweater would cling to the bra, and the illusion it would create, a new fad was born from this bra called the ‘sweater look’.

The bullet bra was a bra with coned shaped supports. This created an illusion of a larger chest. The bras went out of style during the 60’s as new, more comfortable form fitting bras came out.

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Posted in 50's Fashion, Women's Fashion | 2 Comments »

Little something to dance to…

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

I thought my fun loving, 50’s dancing, hip hopping friends would like this.

Posted in 50's Costumes, 50's Fashion, Children's Fashion, Sock Hops, Women's Fashion | 1 Comment »

Women’s Hairstyles of the 50’s and 60’s

Monday, June 15th, 2009

1950’s Hairstyles

During the 50s women kept their hair fairly short. For example, the pixie haircut was very popular. This was worn by many actresses of the time, including Audrey Hepburn. Pixie

Audrey Hepburn sporting an adorable pixie hairdo

Audrey Hepburn sporting an adorable pixie hairdo

haircuts are very short and combed back close to the head. From the front it can appear that your hair is pulled back into a ponytail. This was perfect because ponytails were very much in style at the time. Pixie hairdos kept their femininity by having short bangs that were loosely curled.

A similar hairstyle was the poodle cut. This was fairly short as well, but tended to have a little extra length to make sure you could curl your hair. It was a cute 50s fashionable hairdo for both younger girls as well as the more mature women.

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Women’s Accessories of the 50’s & 60’s

Monday, June 15th, 2009

Women’s accessories (sunglasses, scarves, jewelry, necklaces, belts, ear rings, hair pins, etc.) of the 50’s and 60’s

Women love their accessories. This was no different during the 50s and 60s time period. Your accessories can make or break any type of outfit. Below are a list of must have accessories for any 50s or 60s outfit.

Cateye Sunglasses

Most people are familiar with the 50s fashion that included cateye glasses. Some don’t realize that these cute frames also come in sunglasses. Cateye frames fit around the eyes and then toward the tips go up and to a point. They were a relatively short trend that came out during the 50s.

Wayfarer Sunglasses

The Wayfarer sunglasses were a hit during the 50s and 60s. They came out in 1952 and had so much success that most felt they would be a continual trend that would last quite a long time. But With the change in fashion that the 70s brought, wayfarers were soon lost and put on the shelf to make way for bolder fashions.

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Sock Hops, Part 6: Women’s Costumes

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

When you go to a sock hop you have to have the perfect fifties costume. You want to look as if you just walked out of the fifties. In order to dress the part typically you would have to do a little research on what type of fifties or sixties style you want. No worries, we’ve done the hard part for you. Read through some of these descriptions and mix and match to find the perfect fifties outfit for you.

Pencil Skirt:
Pencil skirts were huge in the 50s and 60s. They were usually worn by the more mature women of the time. These skirts are actually coming back in style for us now so they are something that would be easy for any women to find. Pencil skirts, or silhouettes, come high around the waist where they are fairly form fitting, accentuating the waist. The length of the skirt typically drops below the knee. This was considered a great office skirt but because of how form fitting it tends to be it was considered a sexier skirt of the time, revealing more of the curves of women.

Pencil Pants:
These were considered a more casual version of the pencil skirt. When pencil skirts first came out they were actually called wabble skirts due to how difficult it was to walk in them. They were able to adjust that and make it more comfortable, but some women still found it more comfortable to wear the pencil pants. These were cute, form fitting jeans or pants that would fall right below the knee. Some had 1-2 inch slights on the outside of each pant leg.

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Sock Hops, Part 5: Finding a Sock Hop

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

Want to go to a sock hop? Surprisingly there are a lot of sock hops that still go on. They are a fun party where you can kick off your shoes and have fun dancing with friends. Sometimes the hard part is to find them. Many people are surprised when they find out that there are sock hops going on right in their cities. Here are a few tips to help you find some sock hops near you.

Google can be used to find so many things. It can also help you find local sock hops. I’ve been able to locate some near me by typing in ‘sock hop’ and then my town.

Another popular thing are car shows (find car shows) and sock hop parties. If you type in ‘cruise in and hop sock’ or ‘car show and sock hop’ followed by your state or city, you’ll have a lot of success finding fun 50s and 60s parties that include sock hops.

Another popular idea would be searching for cruises that have sock hops. Most cruises are centered around entertainment and dancing. Sock hops are a popular addition to any cruise. I’ve been able to find them by typing in ‘cruise’ and ‘sock hop’.

Many studios will offer 50’s and 60’s dance lessons as well as throw sock hops for students and the neighborhood. If you’re wondering if your local studios do, call them up or check out their websites. (more…)

Posted in Sock Hops | 2 Comments »

Sock Hops, Part 4: Men’s Sock Hop Costumes

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

A fifties custom is just as essential for the men as it is for the women. It’s important to find the perfect costume for you that will be both fun and easy to dance in. When deciding what style is right for you, Happy Days, the old comedy television show, is the perfect place to look. They have Richie Cunningham the ‘square’, and the ‘Fonz’ the ‘greaser’. Because both characters are widely known both costumes can be really fun for a sock hop.

Richie

Richie Cunningham was known as the quintessential boy of the 1950s. He was extremely wholesome and at times even naïve. Him following exactly what he was told to do puts him in the category of a ‘square’.

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Sock Hops, Part 3: Four Steps to Having a Blast!

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

Sock hops can be a lot of fun if you follow these 4 simple rules.

1. Dress the part

You are sure to ruin the fun by not taking the time to get all dressed up. Most of the fun is seeing all the different outfits. A lot of conversation is centered on everyone’s outfits and how they got them and designed them.

Also, make sure that the outfit you do pick out is comfortable. You will be dancing and moving around a lot and playing games. If your outfit isn’t comfortable your fun won’t last very long.

It’s important to remember that you will be dancing around in socks so make sure that you don’t care that they get dirty or possibly ruined from the dance floor. If you choose to leave on your shoes make sure that you’ve bought some nice comfy ones like oxfords.

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Posted in 50's Fashion, Sock Hops | 2 Comments »

Sock Hops, Part 2: The Essentials

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

There are so many things to think about when putting together your own sock hop. In the midst of all the plans and outfits and other stuff, our minds can forget about the most essential things. Just to make your life easier, we’re going to go over the ‘must needs’ for a perfect sock hop party.

Sock Hop Invitations:
When throwing a theme party we first have to make sure that our invitations are consistent with that theme. Our friends need to be able to feel from the invitation what kind of party this is. You can keep it real simple if needs be. Try making your own invitations. They don’t need to be fancy, just fun. Remember to keep with the colors of the 50’s and 60’s, and certain patterns can even bring out that time period. Don’t forget to tell your friends to dress up in their best fifties outfits!

Sock Hop Costume:
When picking out the perfect outfit you’ll need to study up on what was popular. Girls can never go wrong with a classic poodle skirt, poodle top or blouse, crinoline petticoat, saddle oxford shoes, chiffon scarf, cinch belt and cateye glasses. Guys will be able to pull off a nice fifties outfit with a pair of rolled up jeans, white t-shirt, oxford shoes or Converse shoes, leather jacket and greased back hair.

Sock Hop Food:
Don’t forget to serve good ol’ American food. Anything you would find in a malt shop will do. Serving hamburgers, fries and a malt is the perfect 50’s treat. Don’t forget some ice cream in tall serving glasses. These were seen everywhere during the fifties and sixties. If you are having servers, you can have them wear roller skates too. This was very popular at the time.

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